


Trust Has To Be Earned

by Vampire_Chick25



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-27
Updated: 2014-04-05
Packaged: 2018-01-17 05:45:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1376065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vampire_Chick25/pseuds/Vampire_Chick25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's a new transgenic in Seattle. But why the interest in Alec?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

5 o'clock and the working day was over for Alec. Right now, all he could think about was relaxing with his friends and a pitcher of beer at Crash. That thought filled his mind as he walked back towards his apartment, not watching where he was going. He was pulled out of his trance by a petite figure crashing into him. A little shocked, he pulled the figure from his body and looked down to see the identity. For a moment, he froze.

He was now looking down into the stunningly beautiful face of a young girl who looked to be the same age as him. Her figure hugging T-shirt exposed the smooth, pale skin of her arm that Alec's hand was pressed against. Her dark hair cascaded neatly around her face and down her shoulders and back, while her pitch dark eyes held his gaze. They sparkled intensely, shining like black ebony. It took him a moment before he realised he was staring and to drop his gaze, reluctantly.

@~~>~~~

As she felt her body hit against someone else, she pulled swiftly back to see who it was, while whoever it was held tightly to her arm. Her heart unnaturally skipped a beat as she lifted her head.

Her eyes met the ruggedly handsome face of a guy no older than herself. His tight fitting black polo-neck accentuated his more appealing features as her eyes travelled across his body. Her eyes met his and his gorgeous hazel eyes gleamed down on her.

"Sorry," she mumbled, never taking her eyes off him, even when he lowered his gaze.

"No problem. Really," he said cockily, returning his eyes back to hers. She watched his eyes sparkle even more as he smiled cheekily down at her, and she could swear she saw his eyes shine with specks of green when his smile lit them up.

This time, she pulled her gaze away from him, her eyes catching his reflection in the glass behind him. She smiled slightly as her eyes flickered to the half-hidden barcode on the back of his neck.

A shocked look came over Alec's face as the girl slid her hand to the back of his neck. She pulled herself closer and whispered:

"You should really hide this better.…" She pulled his collar down to fully reveal the barcode before puling it back up to hide it, and finished with: "494."

For a moment, Alec was too surprised to react in any way. How did she…?

As realisation dawn on him, Alec pulled the girl briefly closer to him, pulling back her hair to reveal her very own barcode.

"479," he whispered as he pulled her away to arms length. Her bright lips curved into a sly smiled as she looked up at him.

"So, are you an 09er then?" Alec asked. She just stared at him, confusion evident on her face. He added: "I mean, are you part of the group that broke out in 2009?"

"Oh, no," she answered. "I got out when Manticore was burned to the ground."

"Well, there's another thing we've got in common." He smiled down at her with his trademark grin and was happy to see her face break into a wide smile as she giggled softly. "The name's Alec, by the way," he said, extending his hand to her. She simply looked down at his hand, the confused look spread across her features again.

"What?" she asked, the confusion now apparent in her voice as well.

"You do have a name, right? I mean, you can't really refer to yourself a 479, can you? Not out in the real world anyway."

"You know, with being on the run and all, naming myself wasn't really on top of my list of priorities."

"Clearly. Well, now Manticore's no more, you really do need a name. What shall we call you?" He considered this for a moment, slowly looking her up and down, before his mind landed on the perfect name. "Nikki."

"Nikki?"

"Yeah, Nikki."

"Why Nikki?" She asked.

"I don't know. You just seemed like a Nikki to me is all." She considered the name for a moment, mouthing the word silently to practise saying it. To see how it felt on her lips. She finally smiled.

"I like it. Nikki," she said once more aloud, practising how the name sounded spoken out loud.

"Good. Now we've got your name sorted, I know someone who'll just love to meet you. Come on." Alec grabbed her hand, lacing his fingers through hers, and pulled her in the direction of Logan's, where Max would no doubtedly be. She seemed to be nowhere else these days, now the virus had been cured. And he knew she always liked to keep tabs on any new transgenics out and about in the real word.

As Alec's hand laced into hers, 479 smiled. Nikki smiled. For some reason, his touch sent a small shiver down her spine. Even after Manticore had gone down, she still lived her life as a soldier. For the first time ever, she felt like part of the real world. The world outside of rules, regulations, and training procedures. And all because of a name.

Nikki.

Or maybe it was because of a different name.

Alec.


	2. Chapter Two

CHAPTER TWO

Alec reached Logan's a few minutes later, Nikki's hand still in his, and the multiple voices behind the door told him that Max was there. Alec walked in, without knocking as usual, and announced his presence in his usual loud tone.

"Hey guys, the fun has arrived," he claimed, marching him and Nikki into the main room.

"Alec," came Logan's exasperated voice. "I understand super soldiers like you don't need manners, but you live in Seattle now. Learn to knock."

"You never make Max knock," Alec stated.

"That's different."

"Of course it is," he said sarcastically under his breath. "Anyway, I'm here for a good reason. This is Nikki," he said, pushing Nikki in front of him. Max and Logan simply stared at her, wondering what the hell this was all about. Alec continued.

"Better known to you probably as X5-479." Max suddenly realised what he was getting at and walked towards them, smiling.

"So, you actually bothered to find a transgenic, Alec?" she said, smirking at him.

"More like she found me," he said. "Crashed right into me on the street and she…."

"Let me guess, saw your barcode which you refuse to cover properly, no matter how many times I tell you."

"Yeah, that about sums it up," Alec said off-handily. Max just glared at him and moved closer to Nikki.

"Are you part of a group? Are there any more of your section still out there?" Max asked. For a moment, Nikki faltered, as if thinking what to say.

"I was with a group, but I don't know where they are now," she finally said. "We were separated and I made my way here. We were close by when we were separated."

"Right. That must mean that the rest of your group are still close by as well. We can search for them tomorrow." Alec rolled his eyes, earning himself another deadly glare from Max.

"But, for now," she continued. "While we have you here with us, we need to find a place for you to stay."

"Well, why not have her stay at yours. I'm sure Cindy won't put up a fight," Logan suggested.

"There's barley enough room for me and Cindy, but I suppose there isn't any other option."

"Sure there is," Alec interjected. "She can stay with me. I have more than enough room."

Max and Logan stared blankly at Alec, wondering if he was being serious. Surely he couldn't expect her to let him have this girl living with him. Him, Alec, the womaniser? No way!

When Max realised that he was being absolutely serious, she couldn't help but laugh.

"You're joking, right? There is no way she's staying with you. No way in this world am I letting you corrupt her the way you do all your other women."

"Oh, come on Maxie. You don't have that low an opinion of me, surely?" Max didn't answer, but the look she gave him was enough of an answer for Alec.

"Awww, I'm hurt Maxie. Really hurt," he said with fake offence. "And when I hold you in such high regards as well." He grinned wickedly at her, and it was Max's turn to roll her eyes.

"Max, this is the logical option. You have just about enough room for you and Cindy, I have more room than I need. Besides, Nikki doesn't have a problem staying with me, do you?" Alec moved closer to her, swinging an arm around Nikki's shoulder.

'Hell no,' was what she wanted to scream out. ‘Why would I have a problem being left alone with your wonderful self?’ But she didn't. Instead, she just said:

"Fine by me wherever I stay."

"See," Alec stated triumphantly. "There's another problem sorted. And I promise I'll be very well behaved Max. Scouts honour."

"You were never a Scout, Alec," Max deadpanned.

"Only because Manticore never gave me the chance. If not… who knows? I might have made a good Scout."

"No, you wouldn't," Max said. "You don't have any self control and are way too self centred."

"Anyway," Alec said, ignoring Max. "I will let you guys get to know each other better, and I will see you two lovely ladies at Crash tonight. You too, Logan buddy." With that, Alec left the apartment. Nikki turned to Max, an inquisitive look on her face.

"What's Crash?" She asked.

"Oh, it's just a club we go to. Not the best, or the cleanest, of places, but it's the best we've got. You should come, meet Cindy and Sketch."

"Cindy and Sketch? Who are they?"

"They're buds of mine from work. They're ordinaries, but they're cool enough. No offence to ordinaries Hun," she said to Logan, squeezing his hand gently.

"None taken," he said, smiling lovingly up at her. Nikki smiled inwardly as she watched them. They were in love, and she could see that.

"Anyway," Max continued. "Cindy knows about me and she's ok with it. You'll be fine around her. Sketch, on the other hand, has a thing against transgenics. Be careful around him."

"So, this Crash… is a club?" Nikki asked a little defeated.

"Yeah. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing. It's just… what I'm wearing is all I own, and it's not really clubbing wear now is it?" Nikki looked down at herself, Max following suit. The plain T-Shirt and pants she was wearing was alright for hiding out in, but not for a night on the town. She had gotten them off a clothes line outside some house she had passed on her escape, and she had been wearing them ever since.

"That's ok, you're about the same size as me. We'll find you something." She walked towards Nikki, looking her up and down to guess her size.

"Logan," she said, turning back to him." Do you think you can find out about these transgenics that might be close by? I don't know, see if anything a little out of the ordinary pops up in any police reports. Something that might say Manticore."

"Sure," Logan said, turning to his computers. "But if you want me to find these transgenics, knowing their barcodes might help to identify them." Logan and Max turned to Nikki, waiting for her to comply.

"Well, there were five of us. Three X5's, including me, and two X6's. X5-512, X5-406, X6-214 and X6-440. Does that help?" Nikki said, spieling off the numbers from memory.

"I hope so. Thanks," Logan said, his attention back on his computers.

"Good. Well, me and Nikki are gonna go get ready, and I will see you tonight." Max leaned in and tenderly kissed Logan. She stood straight, smiling, and turned to Nikki, signalling with her eyes for her to follow her as she left the apartment. Nikki obliged, flashing Logan a friendly grin as she turned to leave with Max.

@~~>~~~

Max's apartment was a lot like the rest of Seattle after the pulse. Run-down and dark. But Max had managed to make it quite cosy and home-like. This was the kind of place Nikki could see herself living. She wondered if Alec's place was anything like this.

The minute Max opened the door, the overwhelming smell of lavender hit Nikki. Once the sound of running water came clear to her, Nikki guessed that the shower was running.

"Cindy," Max called into the apartment. The sound of water died as the bathroom door clicked open and another girl, still fully clothed, stepped out.

"Hey boo. Who's the new girl with ya?" The girl, who Nikki guessed could only be Cindy asked, her attention on her.

"Oh, this is Nikki. Nikki, this is Original Cindy." Nikki grinned softly at OC, earning herself a heavy grin back before OC turned to Max.

"So, is she a…." OC began, not wanted to finish that sentence in case she was wrong and told Nikki too much.

"A transgenic, yeah. Just like me and Alec." Max paused for a minute before she added: "Well, hopefully more like me. One Alec type is enough for me." OC laughed and Nikki couldn't help but smile at the comment. Knowing Alec for only a few minutes, she could see how his arrogance could become annoying. She found it endearing, although she'd never admit that to Max or OC.

"Anyway," Max continued, placing her hands on Nikki's shoulders. "She's also a girl who needs better clothes to wear to Crash tonight. So if you'll excuse us…." Guiding her by the shoulders, Max led Nikki into her bedroom. She sat her down on the bed and turned to her wardrobe.

"No, no, no, definitely not," she said, pulling clothes from her wardrobe and chucking them onto a pile. "Ah, ha. Perfect." She placed the 'perfect' outfit next to Nikki and turned to leave.

"I'll leave you to get changed. Shout when you're ready," Max said, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.

Nikki just sat and stared at the clothes next to her for a while. For almost all her life, she had lived at Manticore and had been trained as nothing more than a soldier. And they weren't too big on any of the girls looking too girlie. Nikki had never had the chance to wear any clothes like this before. She smiled to herself before pulling her top over her head and getting changed.

@~~>~~~

Standing in her new clothes, Nikki had to giggle at what she was seeing in the mirror. She was definitely stood there, but the girl giggling back at her was totally different.  
Nikki was pulled away from the reflection by a light knocking on the door.

"Nikki," came Max's voice from behind the closed door. "Are you ready yet?" Without waiting for an answer, Max stepped into the room. For an instant, she gave the same reaction as Nikki and stared at this totally new woman in front of her.

"Wow," Max said. "They look great on you." Nikki smiled broadly and turned back to the mirror.

The clothes Max had picked for her fit her perfectly. The dark blue jeans moulded against her like they had been made just to fit her. Her white skin shone even brighter against the deep red halter top that covered most of the top half of her body. Using some clips she had found on Max's dresser and make-up to hide her barcode, Nikki had clipped her hair up, allowing some small tendrils to fall around her face. She had never felt this tall before, Max's heeled boots finishing off the outfit neatly.

She had never felt this confident before either. Looking at herself in the mirror, she didn't see a soldier anymore, but a normal girl. And she liked the way this normal girl looked. Even her smile was different, brighter and no longer forced.

"I think I'm about ready to go now, if you guys are," Nikki said, finally pulling her gaze from the mirror.

"Come on then," Max said, laughing kindly at her. "You're gonna knock 'em dead tonight looking like that." Nikki followed Max and OC out of the apartment, ready for her first true taste of the real world.


	3. Chapter Three

The three boys, Alec, Sketchy and Logan, arrived at Crash long before the girls. While Logan looked on, Sketchy challenged Alec to their usual game of pool, which Alec beat him at, as usual.

"Come on, man. You gotta let me win my money back," Sketchy pleaded.

"Fine, but you know I'm just gonna beat you again." Alec grabbed his cue and set up to beat Sketchy again. He really did hate taking money from his friend, but Sketchy was so adamant. And Alec couldn't help it if a couple of his 'skills' helped him to win.

As Alec set up to take his breaking shot, his Manticore senses kicked in and his attention was drawn to the entrance as the girls entered the club.

Although all three girls were together, Alec's full attention was held by one, and it wasn't the usual one either. Nikki had his undivided attention tonight. If he thought she had been amazing when they first met, it was nothing compared to how she looked now.

She strode in, so confident, not noticing or not caring about the stares all three were getting from the male population of the crowd. She looked happy, giggling with Max and OC, and it was a good look for her. The genuine smile etched across her features made her look all the more beautiful. Max led the group, guiding them towards Logan's table. Nikki finally looked his way, noticing Alec watching her, and smiled at him. A smiled aimed just at him. He smiled back at her and for once, his smile wasn't laced with sarcasm or its usual cheeky appearance. It was just a simple smile especially for the person who brought it out of him. Nikki.

"Would you break already," Sketchy said impatiently, knocking Alec's attention back to the game. "I wanna win my money back."

"You got it," Alec said without his usually, Mr. Confidence, I'm-keeping-your-money attitude.

He leaned in against the pool table to start the game, but his mind was no longer concerned with winning. The only thing in his mind now was Nikki and her smile. Without his full concentration on the game, Alec hit his shot, but not how he would have liked it. The balls broke apart but barely scattered. Sketchy smiled, thinking Alec had lost his winning streak. He took his shot. It was no better than Alec's. Worse maybe.

@~~>~~~

Nikki sat on the table with Max, Logan and OC. Her gaze occasionally flicked to the pool table, watching Alec. His confidence leaked out onto his game, knocking balls off the table with the greatest of ease, much to the distaste of his opponent.

"Is that Sketchy playing against Alec?" Nikki asked, motioning towards the shaggy haired guy who was watching Alec play and win with more and more distress.

"Yeah, that's him," OC answered. "You best keep ya whole super hero gig on the down low around him. He ain't so up on it like me."

"I know. Max warned me," Nikki said with a smile. Her attention was drawn back to the pool game with the sound of dropping wood. She turned to see Alec and Sketchy head back their way, Alec counting money with a huge smile on his face.

"You beat him again, didn't you?" Max asked towards Alec.

"Does it ever go any other way," Alec joked, taking the seat next to Nikki. Sketchy stayed where he was, his gaze locked on Nikki.

"Don't stare Sketch," OC said, pulling him roughly into a chair. "That's Nikki." Nikki smiled at Sketchy, waving brightly.

"Hey new girl," he said, finally pulling away his gaze.

"So anyone else fancy a game of pool?" Alec addressed the table. No one answered. "Come on, you'll play your good buddy Alec, won't you Maxie?"

"No way," Max answered. "I ain't moving from this chair," she said, cuddling herself closer to Logan.

"Guess that puts you out of the picture too, Logan?"

"Afraid so," Logan said, leaning his head against Max's. He turned to persuade OC, but the look she gave him told him to not even dare asking. He turned his attention to Nikki.

"Nikki, baby," he said, sliding an arm across her shoulders. "You'll have me a game, won't you?" Alec smiled pleadingly at her and Nikki felt like doing anything he asked.

"Fine," she said, pulling his arm from her shoulders and standing up. "But I get to break." She walked towards the pool table, Alec following her closely.

"I've gotta see this," Max said, pulling herself away from Logan and following Nikki and Alec. OC, Sketchy and Logan followed her.

Nikki stood beside the pool table, leaning against her cue and watching Alec set up. He arranged the balls and stepped back, letting Nikki take the first shot.

"I'll go easy on you," Alec said as Nikki passed him, his Mr. Confident attitude back. "Since you're a beginner and all."

Nikki smiled, leaning into the table to take her shot, she broke easily, scattering the balls and sending two crashing into opposite pockets. She looked up, smiling smugly at Alec while he gazed back at her in shock.

"What were you saying about going easy on me?" Nikki said just as smugly.

@~~>~~~

The game carried on much in the same way, each taking a shot and potting a couple before letting the other take over. Max, OC, Sketchy and Logan all stood with Nikki, cheering her on to be the first person to beat Alec. Alec mumbled something about true friends under his breath just low enough that only Max and Nikki could hear him.

Finally, they got to the point where it was just them and the eight ball left, and it was Alec's shot. Nikki stood behind him, watching over his shoulder.

"Are you trying to put me off?" Alec asked, standing straight.

"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing," Nikki answered sweetly. A bit too sweetly.

"Well, will you stand out of my light please?" Alec said, staring her down.

"Fine," Nikki said, sweeping away and leaning against the wall close by. She stood watching as he leaned to take his shot.

Out of the corner of his eye, Alec could see Nikki standing close by. The way she was standing, Alec could see she wasn't trying to keep his attention, but she was anyway. With part of his concentration on Nikki, Alec took his shot and missed, the ball hitting the cushion. Nikki smiled, sliding over to the table as Alec glared at her.

"You can't possible blame me for that."

In answer, Alec continued to glare at her as she leant in to take her shot. Trying to put her off, Alec stood behind her, leaning as close as he could without touching her. But it didn't have any effect on her. She ignored the heat of his body beside her and took her shot. The balls cracked together lightly, sending the eight ball streaming into a pocket and the cue ball back to its starting position.

Smiling widely, Nikki straightened up for the last time and turned to face Alec. Max, Logan, OC and Sketchy stood by the pool table, laughing and cheering Nikki while Alec gazed open mouthed at her. He had just been beat for the first time at pool, and it was by a girl! Max would never let him live this down.

Nikki pushed Alec gently aside, pressing her pool cue into his chest as she moved with the others to sit back down.

"That was brilliant girl!" Sketchy said. "You are a goddess among women." Nikki smiled shyly at Sketchy.

"Why you guys making this a big deal? Surely he's lost before?" Nikki said.

"No," Max said, laughing. "You're the first, and about time too. I'm glad someone finally brought him down off that pedestal he put himself on." Max finished as Alec finally strode over.

"Well, a celebration is definitely in order," Logan said, holding up the empty beer pitcher.

"I'll get it," Nikki offered, taking the pitcher from Logan. "After all, I have all this new money someone owes me." She held her hand out to Alec, waiting for him to hand over her winnings with a smile on her face.

"Come on," Alec said, grabbing her outstretched hand. "I'll come with you, since it is my money."

"Mine, don't you mean?" Nikki corrected.

"Whatever," Alec deadpanned. The group watched them leaving, laughing. Once they were out of earshot, Max turned back to the others.

"So, what do you guys think of her?" she asked.

"She nice, "Sketchy said, still watching her walk away. "Very nice." Seeing the look which came over his face, both Max and OC smacked him across the back of the head, hard.

"Owww," Sketchy exclaimed ducking and covering a little too late. "What was that for?"

"I already told you about staring," OC said. "And specially with that look you had. I know what ya thinking and forget it. Leave her alone."

"Fine," Sketchy said, defeated. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the boys room." Sketchy left the table, letting the others discuss what they really wanted to about Nikki.

"I was right what I said about your boy," OC said. "Manticore really do make 'em pretty." Max laughed.

"I'm just glad to have someone else like me around," she said. "I mean, there is Alec, but he's just too much to handle alone sometimes."

"Yeah," Logan said. "But I don't know. Don't you think it's a bit odd? I mean, she appears out of nowhere months after Manticore went down, and we know nothing about her except her designation number."

"Hey, Mr Over-Analyse-Everything," OC said to Logan. "Stop panicking my boo. If there was something wrong with Nikki, she'd know."

Max smiled at OC, but it was a forced smile. She hated to admit it about one of her own, but she had been thinking the same as Logan since Alec had brought Nikki in. Alec hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary, but that was because he was Alec. He was clearly thinking with his pants and not his brain, as always. This girl had appeared out of fresh air after they had been searching for so long. And the weirdest part was, she seemed perfectly normal.

X5-479 had been in Manticore for ten years longer than Max had. You didn't just stop being a soldier. She had seen that with Alec. It had taken him some time to adjust when he was out, and even then he did some stupid things. Max just hoped she didn't have to go through that again.

@~~>~~~

Nikki and Alec stood at the bar, pitcher in hand and trying to get the bartenders attention.

"You do know that wasn't a fair game, don't you?" Alec said, leaning coolly against the bar.

"Enlighten me. Why exactly is that?" Nikki said. "A refill please," she told the bartender as he walked over to them and then away with their pitcher.

"Because of who you are."

"What do you mean, 'because of who I am'?"

"You know, special. You having all those advantages over most people."

"You not being one of those people. You have the same advantages. What's your excuse now?" Alec stayed quiet, looking sheepishly at the floor. "Ha! You just need to accept that a girl was the first person to beat you at pool."

"Well, I am at least glad it was you and not Max. She'd be hell to be around."

The bartender put the pitcher down in front of them and Nikki turned to Alec, smirking. He sighed and pulled the money out, handing it to the bartender. He looked over at Nikki, who was still smiling at him, but now with more of a giggle than a smirk. Looking at her, he made his mind up to say something, even if it was only something small.

"By the way, you look amazing tonight." He grabbed the pitcher and headed back to the table, smiling sweetly at Nikki.

Once he had left her side, Nikki stood still and watched him for a moment, a little shocked. When Max said she would impress tonight, her first thought had been to impress Alec above all. Now she had done that and he had said she looked amazing. Her night was complete.

@~~>~~~

The group of six sat together at the table for the rest of the night, laughing and joking. Nikki's brilliant win over Alec at the pool table was the main topic of conversation for a while, until Alec sat in a huff, forcing them to change the topic just to get that ridiculous look off his face.

When all the beer was drunk and all the conversation topics, appropriate or not, had been discussed, the group separated. After saying his goodbye to Max, Logan heading to his car and back to his apartment. Sketchy left with some woman, who was extremely drunk. Sketchy, being equally as drunk himself, didn't notice, which gave the rest of them their last bit of amusement. Max and OC headed back to their apartment, which was in walking distance.

And Alec and Nikki left together, heading for his place.

Alec dragged Nikki outside and stopped beside the row of bikes, turning to her.

"How do you feel about bikes?" he asked with a smirk.

"What?" Nikki asked, glancing from Alec, to the bikes, then back again.

"Motorbikes? You're not scared of them or anything like that are you?"

"Of all the things I know are in this world, motorbikes are one of the things that don't really bother me all that much."

"Good," he said. "Because that's how we're getting home." He turned away from Nikki and moved over to one of the bikes. Nikki watched him.

"You coming or do you wanna stay here alone?" Alec said, swinging his leg over the bike. Nikki smiled and ran over to him, jumping on the bike behind him.

"Hold on," Alec said, kicking the bike into gear.

As they set off speeding down the road, the force sent Nikki back. To keep herself on the bike, she threw her arms tight round Alec's waist, pulling her body closer to his. The heat of Alec's body against hers as she held tight to him made her feel safe, just knowing he was there and she wasn't gonna fall off. She hugged herself closer to both the bike and Alec as they skidded round corners.

@~~>~~~

Alec smiled as the bike took off and he felt Nikki's arm grip round his waist. Feeling the tight arms wrap round him made him feel needed, like someone depended on him. And the feeling wasn't half bad. Her body turned with his as they darted round corners on their way home. Smiling wider, Alec decided to experiment. He hit the bike up a gear, hurtling faster down the road. A shriek echoed from behind him and the grip tightened round his waist. He laughed slightly. The girls he knew, like Max and OC, never shrieked. It was a strange sound to his ears, but the fact that it came from Nikki felt… well, right. Manticore hadn't made her the type of girl that needed protecting, but that one small sound told him she was still vulnerable, whether she wanted to be or not. And that made her… human. A normal, human girl.

Keeping at the same steady, but still fast, pace, Alec pulled the bike to a stop outside his apartment a short while later. Nikki's body jerked closer into Alec as she took a little longer than him to adjust to the speed change. The minute she was back to herself, she let go of his waist and jumped off the bike, a little shaken.

"You okay?" he asked, taking his time to climb off the bike and turn to her.

"Yeah. Fine," she answered uncertainly. Alec stared at her, the edge in her voice telling him that she was still a little shuck up. Nikki held her gaze anywhere but on Alec, choosing to concentrate on the buildings around her. Alec kept his eyes locked on her, urging her to look at him. After a while, she pulled her gaze back to him, his eyes cutting into her becoming too much. "All right, so I'm not used to bikes. You can stop glaring at me like that any time soon."

Alec laughed and finally turned to his apartment, Nikki following. All Alec could hear from behind him was Nikki mumbling, both about the bike and how arrogant and cocky he was. She wasn't trying to hide her ranting, so Alec let her blow off steam, smiling occasionally at what she was saying about him.

He reached his door and made a grand gesture out of letting her in, sweeping to the side and bowing gracefully while holding the door open. Nikki laughed gently, shaking her head and stepping into the apartment. Alec followed, pulling his jacket off and flinging it across the room at the couch. He looked on as Nikki's eyes flew round the apartment as if searching for something.

"Looking for something in particular?" Alec asked, standing beside her.

"No, just exploring the place I'm gonna be stayin' for a while," she said, her eyes still exploring.

There wasn't much for her to explore. He hadn't lived here long. He had called this place his own after the Brain incident, much to Max's dislike. But then again, most things he did were to Max's dislike. Not that he did it on purpose, he just seemed to annoy her most of the time. But this place was something he was keeping. He hadn't really changed the place, but that was because he lived here alone. There was no reason to dress it up. Until now.

"I know it's not much, but…." Alec stopped slightly, glad when Nikki interrupted him.

"No, it's perfect," Nikki said, finally turning to Alec. "I mean, it's no cell at Manticore, but…." Nikki stopped at the same point as Alec, smiling softly. Alec smiled back at her. Being around Nikki, it was the most he had ever smiled. But it didn't bother him. Not a bit.

"Good. So I guess we gotta figure out sleeping arrangements then." There was only one bedroom… and a couch.

"Since it's your apartment, I'll take the couch. I don't mind." Nikki began to make her way towards the couch until two hands took hold of her shoulders, their soft grip stopping her in her tracks.

"No, you can have the bed, you being the guest and all," Alec said, walking her towards the bedroom.

"Yeah, but…."

"No, you have the bed. I've slept on worse, I think I can cope with the couch for a few nights." He moved Nikki so she was just inside the doorway and turned her to face him. The look in his eyes was saying he was adamant about this.

"Fine, if you insist. But we swap tomorrow," Nikki said, giving in on her terms.

"Okay," he said as Nikki made her way further into the room. "Goodnight, Nikki," he said, throwing an oversized sweatshirt her way.

"Goodnight, Alec," Nikki said, catching the sweatshirt and closing the door on his cheeky grin.

@~~>~~~

Nikki sat beside the window, that nights clothes in a pile on a nearby chair. Her eyes were fixed on the night sky as she sat curled in a ball, Alec's sweater burying her already small frame. Her face was a perfect mask as she stared out, all emotion drained from her features. She couldn't sleep after everything that had happened today. She had shed her position as a soldier and found people like her who were wiling to help her live a normal life. And one of them was on the other side of that door.

As she heard the smallest of creaks, Nikki wondered whether Alec was awake. Using all her skills in stealth she had learnt when she was young, she quietly crept to the door, opening it a crack. Her eyes searched the room, falling on the empty couch. Searching now for Alec, Nikki moved to open the door fully. She stopped as a figure walked into her view, the figure appearance aiding her sudden frozen state.

It was Alec, walking in from the kitchen. He moved to the couch, wearing nothing but his boxers. If she had thought he looked good with clothes, it was nothing compared to now. The moonlight flickered across his half naked body, making him all the more enticing. Nikki bit her lip to suppress the slight gasp at the sight of Alec in his half naked glory. While he stood beside the couch, Nikki's eyes flew across his delicious body, unable and unwilling to look away. That was until Alec turned her way.

Not wanting him to catch her staring, Nikki closed the door and swiftly moved to the bed, sliding beneath the covers. Once she was sure there were no more sounds coming from behind the door, she lay down comfortably, smiling to herself. She knew what would be dominating her dreams tonight.

@~~>~~~

Alec turned just in time to see the petite dark haired figure he had already grown accustomed to seeing quickly close the door. He laughed softly, wondering how long she had been watching him.

Looks like it's gonna be more interesting than I thought having that girl here, Alec thought with a smile.


	4. Chapter Four

Nikki woke up the next morning with the sunlight from the window pouring into the room and her eyes. She turned away, cuddling closer to the bed and the covers. She was awake, but she didn't want to move. She felt good here. She felt like she was in a proper home for the first time in her life. It wasn't hers, but it was still better then roughing it. And she didn't want to lose that feeling.

While she lay there, willing her body to go back to sleep, Nikki noticed for the first time that the rest of the apartment was quiet. The only sound she could hear was her peaceful breathing against the covers. That meant either Alec was still asleep, or he had already left.

Peeling herself from the warmth of the bed, Nikki made her way into the main room. Alec was no where to be seen, but there was a piece of paper lying on the kitchen table. Looking it over, she picked it up when she saw her name.

Nikki. Sorry to have to leave so early but I have work. I'll be home at about 5 and we can go see if Logan's got any news on your transgenic buds then. Make yourself at home. I'm giving you free range of the fridge and apartment, so enjoy. See you later, Alec

Smiling, Nikki put the note bake on the table and searched the fridge for her breakfast. She planned on taking up Alec's offer and just lying in front of the TV for the rest of the day. Bliss, to a genetic soldier!

@~~>~~~

Alec pulled his bike up outside Jam Pony, back from his first delivery just as Max pulled up for the first time that day.

"Morning Maxie," Alec said brightly. He got no response. "Late again. Tut tut, Maxie. Up all night with Logan were you?"

"Shut up!" Max said, pushing past him to get into Jam pony. Alec followed with a smirk across his features. That had been just the response he had been trying for.

"Well good morning missy," Normal called to Max as she strode in. "And what wonderful excuse do we have for me this morning?"

"I overslept," Max said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"You overslept?" Normal questioned, dumbfound.

"Yeah, that's what I said isn't it?" she replied as her pager went off. "Hold up," she said, checking the number and moving to the pay-phone.

"What's with missy there?" Normal asked no one in particular.

"Oh, you know, just the usual," Alec answered, watching Max. He couldn't hear what she was saying, but he could tell from the way she was saying it that Logan was on the other end of that line. Alec watched the conversation run its course and moved towards Max once she put the phone down. "Logan?" he asked as she stopped in front of him.

"Yeah. He thinks he's got a lead on one of the kids Nikki was with. The cops picked up a kid in sector 6 on breaking and entering. He escaped, but not before the cops got a good look at his barcode. I'm gonna see if I can find him before the cops or White does."

"Right. Need any help?" Alec offered.

"No. it's just one transgenic. I can take care of this myself," Max said, although she had no intention of going alone. She was taking Nikki. If this was one of her group, she might be able to persuade this kid to listen to them. Which made her a lot more useful than Alec.

Max moved away from Alec and towards the door while Normal continued to shout out to passing messengers.

"Hot run! 125th Place," Normal called out, holding up a package without lifting his gaze from his paperwork.

"I got it," Alec announced, grabbing for the package. 125th Place was right where he lived. He could check in on Nikki, not too keen on leaving her alone all day. It wasn't like he did much work anyway.

Just as he was about to close his hand round the package, it was pulled from his reach by another messenger. He turned to see Max backing out of Jam Pony with a smirk on her face and the package in her hand.

"You gotta be quicker than that pretty boy," she joked as she left for 125th Place.

@~~>~~~

Since she had woken up, Nikki had spent the day in front of the TV, watching re-runs of old pre-pulse shows. Right now, it was some old teen comedy about a protective father with teenage daughters. It was one of the better shows she had seen during the day.

She had gotten dressed back into her original clothes, not wanting to sit in that sweater all day, and she was sat cross-legged on the couch when there was a knock on the door. Nikki just sat there, not wanting to open the door in someone else's apartment.

"Nikki, its Max," came her voice from behind the door. "Will you open up please?" Complying with Max's request, Nikki stood and opened the door to her.

"Hey. Alec's not here if you wanted him," Nikki said with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, I know. It was actually you I wanted to see," Max said, still stood in the doorway.

"Me?" Nikki asked, genuinely confused.

"Yeah. Logan got some info on a transgenic on the run. We think it might be one of the group you were with." Max watched as Nikki's eyes grew wide with what she guessed was shock. "I was hoping you would tag along with me to find hi. Maybe if this guy sees a familiar face, he'll be easier to persuade," Max finished.

For a second, Nikki continued to stare with shock still clear in her eyes. Realising the Max was still watching her and waiting for an answer, Nikki blinked away the emotion.

"Sure. I'll tag along," Nikki answered, keeping the shock out of her voice the best she could. She smiled again, this smile a little more faltered.

"Okay. I'll wait downstairs. Hurry up." Max chose to ignore the strained and uncertain look to Nikki's smile and left the apartment.

Nikki stepped back into the apartment to turn the TV off before she followed Max. As she stood by the door to leave, Nikki turned again to the quiet apartment. She heaved a sigh as she closed the door, leaving the apartment empty once more.

@~~>~~~

At the barrier between sector 6, the young transgenic had been caught by the cops. He had been trying to get through the sector barrier without a sector pass and without using stealth methods. The cops were surrounding the kid, all guns pointing his way. But the kid wasn't stopping.

"Freeze!" One of the cops was yelling. But the kid was till moving towards them. "I said freeze, or I'll shoot!" the cop continued to yell. As the kid carried on slowly moving towards them, the cop's finger hovered over his trigger, ready to fire.

The cops' attention was suddenly pulled from the kid by the sound of a motorbikes engine. They turned to see the mystery bike approaching with Max and Nikki riding it. The cops turned their guns to the women, prepared to shoot if they came any closer.

Looking round the sector barrier for a way to jump the bike, Max's eyes fell on the broken down control hut, its door hanging off its hinges. But for the bike to climb that, it needed as little weight on it as possible. Nikki knew this as well as Max did.

"Now!" Max screamed, and Nikki took her cue. She jumped from the back of the bike, twisting and landing cat-like on all fours between two cops.

With the extra weight off the bike, Max pelted at full speed towards the hut, hitting the bottom of the door at an angle. Both the speed and angle of the bike sent Max up, the door buckling beneath her. The three remaining cops held their guns and their gaze on Max as she flew towards them. As she sailed over them, their guns followed her path and she kicked out at them, her foot catching the cop closest to her and sending him flying back into the other two. Max and her bike landing gracefully in front of the kid on the other side of the barrier, while the cops landed roughly in a pile.

@~~>~~~

The minute Nikki landed, both cops had their guns on her. But two idiots in uniforms with guns didn't scare her. Moving at her top speed, Nikki went for the nearest cop, snapping his arm back and wrenching the gun from his hand. As the two cops stood side by side, Nikki took aim and shot at the ground directly between them. Before either could realise the shot had missed, Nikki blurred forward and took them out with a single punch to each.

With her opponents down, Nikki turned her attention to Max. She was off her bike and fighting the cops, the kid not helping at all. Nikki's eyes searched the scene. There was one cop on the floor, presumably unconscious, and Max was still trying to take out another while dodging the path of his gun. As for the third cop, he was creeping up behind her, bludgeon in hand.

Coming to Max's aid, Nikki ran forward, grabbing the cop from behind and pulling him to the ground. The impact of the fall knocked him motionless for a second. Seeing her opportunity, Nikki pulled her foot back and aimed a kick to his head. Before she could land the kick, the cop came to his senses and pulled her hovering leg from under her, sending her flying backwards.

Pain shot through Nikki's back as she slammed hard to the floor. Like the cop, the shock knocked her motionless for a second. Long enough for the cop to kneel over her, his gun pointed at her head. Before her could pull the trigger, Nikki moved her head slightly and the bullet hit the pavement where her head would have been. Grabbing the cop's collar, Nikki pulled his head down and slammed him into the floor beside her head. The suddenly increased weight against Nikki's body told her the cop was unconscious.

Nikki pushed the cop away from her and sighed. She just lay there for a moment, letting the pain in her back ease away and the movement to come back to her limbs. While Nikki lay there, a shadow passed into her view. She looked up to see Max standing above her, hand outstretched.

"Thanks," Nikki said, taking Max's offered hand and pushing herself up while Max pulled.

"No problem," Max said. "Thank you for helping me out back there."

"No problem," Nikki repeated, smiling. Both her and Max's attention was dragged back to the young transgenic who had moved from the outskirts of the scene to the centre.

"Identify yourselves," the kid said, the edge of a soldier in his voice.

"I'm Max, this is Nikki," Max answered for the both. "We're X5's."

"If you're X5's, show me your barcodes," the mini soldier said. Eager to get this kids trust, Max turned and lifted her hair to reveal her barcode. Nikki wasn't as either and continued to stare at the boy.

Max turned back round to find the boys gaze no longer on her but on Nikki, who still hadn't moved.

"Will you just show him your barcode," Max mumbled to Nikki from the corner of her mouth. Nikki turned to her and stared at her for a moment. Finally she sighed, turning her back on the boy and revealing her barcode.

Max kept her eyes on the boy and watched as his eyes went wide at the sight of her barcode. Max had seen that look already tonight. She had seen it on Nikki when she had told her they had found the kid.

Max shrugged the thought from her mind as Nikki turned back round, putting her focus on the boy.

"What about you? You gonna tell us who you are?"

"X6-214," he said, saluting them and introducing himself with a designation number both max and Nikki knew. He was definitely one of the kids Nikki had said she was with.

"Well, that's good. You got a real name?" Max asked. The kid just stared at them blankly, giving them their answer. "I'll take that as a no." The boy now turned his attention to Nikki, looking her squarely in the eyes.

"So, X5-479, what are…."

"My name is Nikki," she interrupted, finally speaking and addressing the boy.

"Nikki?" The X6 questioned. "So you have a name now, like all the other escapees. Not what I thought of you soldier." The young transgenic now had his attention solely on Nikki, stepping slowly towards her.

Nikki opened her mouth to argue back when the sound of oncoming sirens grabbed their attention. All three of them turned to the origin of the sound.

"Great, more cops," Max said, sighing. "Nikki, take the…." Max turned to her side to address Nikki, but she was gone. She turned round again and saw that the transgenic was missing too. Neither of them were anywhere to be seen.

"Brilliant. Just brilliant," Max said, jumping on her bike and taking off before the cops found her there.

If she had paid attention to her surroundings as she left, Max would have noticed the car parked in the distance, watching them. White's car, with White sat in it.

White watched the three X-Series leave separately with a smile on his face. He pushed the car into gear and took off, following his transgenic.

@~~>~~~

"So she just took off?" Logan asked Max after she told him what had just happened at the sector barrier. She had gone straight to his with the information as usual.

"Yeah. The minute we heard the sirens, she was gone," Max said, recalling the last time she saw Nikki.

"And you have no idea where she went?"

"No. But that isn't the weird part. It was them two, Nikki and the X6. The way they were talking to each other, or more the way he spoke to her."

"Well, they were stationed together on hiding out together. We know they know each other."

"I know, but it was more how the kid was saying… whatever he was saying. It was as if they both knew something more than she's letting on."

"Well why don't you…." Logan began, but was interrupted by the door clicking open and Alec entering the apartment.

"Hey guys," he called. "I'm just coming to check up on how things went without me there."

"We didn't get him. He took off," Max said as Alec stepped into the room.

"Awww. Maybe next time Maxie," Alec said, his eyes searching the room and only finding two occupants. "Where's Nikki?"

"I don't know," Max answered truthfully.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" Alec asked.

"She took off too. I turned round for one second when the cops showed up and they had both vanished." Alec nodded simply at her and turned to leave the apartment. "Alec, where are you going?" Max asked.

"To my apartment. If anywhere, that's where she'll be. It's the only place round here that's familiar to her." Alec left and Max went to follow him. Before she could get very far, Logan grabbed her arm to hold her back.

"Logan, if Nikki's there I need to talk to her. See what she's not telling us, if anything."

"I know, but it seems to me that Alec's probably the best person this time. Nikki's more likely to open up to him." Max watched him for a moment, then relaxed, falling out of his grip.

"You're right."

@~~>~~~

Alec arrived at his apartment, 100 percent sure Nikki would be behind the door. He hadn't been totally truthfully saying his apartment was the only place she knew. She had been to both Max and Logan's apartments as well, and Crash. Alec just had this feeling that if Nikki really needed somewhere to go, she would come here.

When Alec opened his apartment door, the sight that caught his eyes set horror and worry in his features.

The place was a mess. The few tables and chairs he owned were strewn across the apartment, upside down and on their sides. The contents of the table were scattered, clearly thrown when the table went over. The couch was pushed away from its normal place, knocked slanted from the wall.

His eyes searching the apartment, the first thing that came into Alec's mind was Nikki, who was nowhere to be seen!

"Nikki!" Alec called into the apartment, the worry leaking into his voice. His reply was a small clatter and muffled moan groan from his room. Panic began to set in as Alec rushed to his room, expecting worse that what he saw.

This room was still almost perfect compared to the rest of the apartment. All but the small figure sat in the middle of the room, pressed against the bed and shaking violently. For a moment, Alec didn't know what he was seeing and wondered if something, or someone, had scared her this much. The he remembered. He had seen this before, back at Manticore. Seizures.

"Nikki!" Hearing her name, Nikki looked up at Alec, still shaking.

"Hey… stop looking at me… like that. I'll be okay… in a couple of minutes," Nikki stammered, trying her best to smile.

"Well you're not okay now. Is there nothing you can do…." Alec trailed off, kneeling beside her.

"No. But they… they fade away after… a while."

"Well, is there anything I…." Alec stopped again, but this because Nikki interrupted him.

"Alec… I'll be fine… in a minute or two. Just stop worrying." Nikki turned away from Alec, her breathing getting faster and the shaking not subsidising at all.

Alec hated just sitting here, watching Nikki suffer like he knew she was, and not be able to help her. He hated being close enough he could touch her, and not have any idea what he should do at that moment.

Feeling his presence still beside her, Nikki turned to Alec again, but this time she didn't try to be strong. She just let all the pain and fear she was feeling pour out through her eyes. Being brave for her, Alec smiled, wrapping his arms round her and drawing her into his body.

"If you're gonna be like this for another couple of minutes, I'm staying right here with you." Alec held her tightly as she relaxed against him, leaning her head against his chest.

"Alec, I'm… sorry," Nikki mumbled into his body as she continued to shake.

"Shhh. You've got nothing to be sorry for," Alec whispered, puling closer to her and leaning his head against hers.

"But I want you to know… I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Okay, but you still don't have anything to be sorry for."

Nikki went quiet as the two of them sat there, Alec holding her tightly as the shaking began to slowly subside. Her shaking stopped eventually, but Nikki stayed in Alec's arms, clinging to him. After letting her rest in his arms for a minute, Alec pulled her away from him, cupping the side of her face in his hands to make her look at him.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," Alec said, standing up. He sat Nikki against the bed and swapped the bedroom for the kitchen. He pulled a glass from a shelf and filled it up at the sink. Turning back round, Alec saw that Nikki hadn't listened to him and was standing in the doorway to his room.

"Here," he said, walking to her with the water glass extended. "Drink this."

Nikki smiled and took the glass, taking a sip. Alec watched her and the way she leaned against the doorframe, still uneasy on her feet after her seizures.

"Thanks," Nikki mumbled softly, not looking up.

"No problem," Alec said, curious about her seizures. "Nikki, you never said, but are you twinned?" Nikki looked at him for a moment before realising what he meant, nodding her head and turning her gaze back down.

"Well, I thought they fixed the seizures in us."

"They did," she answered. "But they tried to make me too much like the original and I got her seizures."

"Manticore. They can never get anything right." Nikki forced a smile, putting the glass down and glancing around the apartment before back up to Alec.

"I really am sorry," she repeated for the third time, looking him squarely in the eyes.

"Quit saying that. There's nothing to be sorry for," Alec said, smiling down at her. "Come here," he finished, taking hold of her shoulder and pulling her to him. He wrapped his arms round her again and felt her hug close to him. He hugged her back gentle, letting her use him to lean against instead of the wall.

"You okay now?" he said, feeling himself relax into the hug and the comfort from Nikki.

"Yeah," she said into his chest.

"Good. So I'm gonna say this one more time. Stop. Saying. Sorry. You've done nothing wrong. Unless, of course, you're referring to the state of my apartment…." Alec pulled her away from him as she giggled softly. "And that's easily fixed."

"Thanks," she said, looking up at him.

"So you're definitely okay?" Alec asked, keeping her in his arms.

"I am now," she replied softly, smiling sweetly at him. Alec gently brushed a piece of hair from Nikki's face and cupped her face in both his hands, returning her smile.

For a moment, they stared at each other, both nervous but not enough to scare away the other person. Alec's attention was caught by Nikki's mouth as she sweetly bit her lower lip. Slowly and cautiously, Alec brought Nikki's face closer to his, stopping when he could feel her breath tickling his face. Not feeling any protest from Nikki, Alec pulled her the rest of the way, pressing his lips against hers.

Alec deepened the kiss slightly as he felt Nikki's arms move from his waist to round his neck, pulling herself into his body. Alec pulled her body as close as he could, prying her lips apart with his tongue. Nikki moaned gentle against his mouth, meeting his tongue with hers. Alec began walking her into the bedroom, crashing forward and on top of her as the back of her knees hit the bed.

As he felt himself collapse forward, Alec pulled away reluctantly, looking down into Nikki's beautiful face.

"Look, Nikki, are you…."

"Alec," Nikki said, cutting him off. "Shut up." And she pulled him back down to her, capturing his lips with hers.

Not one to argue with a girl like Nikki, Alec pressed himself closer to her, kissing her deeply and not stopping there.

@~~>~~~

Nikki woke up in the middle of the night, the heat of a body beside her and an arm wrapped round her shoulder. She looked up into the peacefully sleeping face of Alec and smiled. She cuddled closer against his chest, feeling like she had somewhere she truly belonged. And it was right here, with Alec.

Nikki's smile faded and she sighed as a new thought wormed its way unwanted into her mind, and she knew what she had to do.

Placing a gentle kiss on Alec's chest, Nikki edged her way off the bed, careful not to wake the gorgeous guy at her side. She picked up her few items and pieces of clothing she owned and left the room, glancing back at the life she could have one last time.

@~~>~~~

Alec woke up to an empty bed, the girl he had been with not too long ago no longer at his side. His first thought was how he wished he could wake up with Nikki in his arms, before he stopped to wonder where she might be.

Finding his jeans from the floor, Alec pulled them on and headed into the main room. Looking round, he was happy when he saw Nikki's figure by the window, staring out with her back to him.

Alec moved over to her, wrapping his arms round her waist and hugging her slightly.

"Hey you. I wondered where you went," Alec said, leaning against her shoulder.

"Couldn't sleep," Nikki said, not one taking her gaze from the window.

"I can see that." Alec looked her over, noticing that she was fully dressed, shoes and all. "Going somewhere?" he asked, pulling away from her. Nikki turned to him, looking at Alec without a trace of a smile or any other sort of emotion on her face.

"Actually… I was," she said matter-of-factly. Alec pulled further away from her, staring at her in shock. "I was gonna leave before you got up, but I couldn't." She turned away from him, standing up and moving to the other side of the room.

"Why?" Was all Alec could say.

"It's just best if I leave. Best for everyone involved if I just go." Alec watched her, heard the emotion in her voice, and he knew there was something she wasn't telling him.

"Nikki, what's wrong?" Nikki turned to him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I know something's up, so please tell me."

"Alec, I can't. I just… please. You've gotta let me do this. I have to." Nikki moved to the door, but Alec was quicker, blocking her way.

"No. Tell me what's going on? What are you running from?"

"It's… its White," Nikki said, walking back into the apartment, the tears slowly leaking from her eyes.

"White's after us all. That's no excuse to run."

"You don't understand. It's more that that. Alec, I…." Alec moved back into the apartment with her, taking hold of Nikki's shoulder and turning her to face him.

"If I don't understand, then tell me." Nikki began crying full out as Alec held her.

"Alec, please, I…." Nikki fell to her knees and out of Alec's grip as tears flooded down her face.

"Nikki, please," Alec said, kneeling down in front of her and holding her again.

"White, he…." Nikki paused, not wanting to finish the sentence, but knowing she had to. For Alec… and herself.

"White sent me to kill you."


	5. Chapter Five

Alec let his hold fall from Nikki, backing away from the girl in front of him that had now broken down into floods of tears. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This girl who he had trusted, felt something for even, was telling him she was a plant, sent by White to take him out. That she was still a soldier, through and through.

"You were… all this time… by White?"

Alec couldn't get his words out properly, but not through anger. Through disappointment. In himself and in Nikki. He had trusted her, let her into his home and his bed, and all the time she had been betraying him. But he was mostly disappointed in himself for letting it happen. He never trusted anyone, and Nikki had just proved why.

"I'm so sorry," Nikki repeated again through her tears, and Alec suddenly understood what she had meant before.

"That's what you were apologising for before," Alec stated more than asked. Nikki nodded sadly, and Alec knew somehow that she had truly meant it. "But why me? Why does White want me dead?"

Beside the fact that he was a transgenic on the run, Alec couldn't see why White would target him over Max. She was the one with the unique genes, or whatever it was that sent White crazy when he saw her.

"Because you betrayed him," Nikki began to explain. "When he re-captured you, he said he made you a deal for your life, and you betrayed him to save Max. Once he found out you were still alive and the explosive hadn't killed you, he put out the order for someone to come in, learn more about you so he could take you out himself."

"And you were the soldier who was chosen for the assignment?" Alec asked sarcastically.

"Yes. White thought you'd respond better to a female." Alec laughed slightly at that remark.

"I guess White knows me a little better then I gave him credit for. But I still don't understand. Even if I did betray him, right now, White would still want Max dead over me." He meant no offence to the girl, but it was true. White had a real thing about wanting that girl dead. Or so he thought.

"No. White doesn't want Max dead. He wants to learn more about her first. About her uniqueness."

"Well that answers one question." Alec pushed himself up and moved further away from Nikki. "But why are you telling me this now. Are you running out of time or something?"

Alec fixed his gaze on Nikki, but this gaze was different. There wasn't any laughter in them, or his usual sparkle. This time, when she looked up, all Nikki could see was anger and disappointment. Alec held Nikki's eyes with his own, and not even the utter look of sorrow in Nikki's brown eyes could soften his steel hard glare.

"No, White gave me all the time I needed, but…."

"What," Alec said, cutting her off. "White didn't put no little bombs in you head to keep you in line?" The look on Nikki's face told him no.

"Wow, White must really trust you. You must be the perfect little soldier."

"Not any more."

"Really? So you didn't come here to try and kill me then?" Every little bit of anger, disappointment and all the other emotions he felt poured out with his words.

"No… yes… I mean…. Alec, I told you. I've told you all the reasons why I came here." Nikki stood up shakily, the crying surging through her body she was sobbing that heavily.

"Yes. You did. But why did you do it? Why, after everything, do you decide to tell me tonight?"

"Because I couldn't do it. I couldn't go through with everything White wanted me to do."

"Awww. Get an attack of conscience, did we?"

"No, it was because of you Alec." Nikki composed herself and walked towards Alec. "Everything you did for me. Even before you knew anything about who I really was, you befriended me. Let me into your life. That meant more to me than you'll eve know. It still does." Nikki stepped up behind him, but before she could touch him, Alec moved away again, pushing roughly past her.

"Well look what good it did me, trusting you. Look where it got me. You still betrayed me."

"Alec, I'm telling you all this because I don't want to betray you."

"It's too late Nikki. You already have." Alec kept his back to her, slouching against the kitchen table.

"Please, Alec, I…."

"No," Alec screamed, cutting her off again and turning back round. "Nothing you can say can change any of this. I cared for you, and you still betrayed me."

For a moment, the two stood in silence. Nikki, finally knowing there really was no way of fixing all the hurt she had caused Alec, turned her gaze down. She walked forward again, this time heading for the door instead of to Alec, ready to finish this. Reaching the door, Nikki grabbed for the handle but stopped. She turned again into the apartment.

"You wanna know the other reason why I told you tonight? The real reason. Because I thought you, of all people, would understand."

"How could I possible understand, or even be okay with, the fact that you, of all people, were gonna kill me?"

"Because of Rachel Berrisford." That simple name brought out an epic reaction from Alec. Up until now, Nikki hadn't seen a glimmer of hatred in his eyes. Her heart dropped as she saw it now, centred on her.

"You don't know anything about that," Alec spat through gritted teeth.

"I know enough. I know you were sent in on an intel mission, but you got too close. You tried to warn her."

"I repeat, you know nothing about that. All you know is what you've read in my file. That has nothing to do with what really went on back then."

"But I do know that. I know why you did what you did. Because you feel for Rachel. When I read the file, I thought that was ridiculous. Now, I don't, because this is the same."

"No. this is nothing like Rachel. You wanna know why? Because I actually had true feelings for my target. I cared for her." Nikki scoffed slightly at Alec's statement as she opened the door.

"Well, just for the record Alec, I really did care about you."

Leaving the apartment once and for all, Nikki closed the door, leaving Alec alone again.

@~~>~~~

Outside of the apartment, Nikki leaned against the wall beside Alec's door, the tears and sobbing back again. She had just lost the one part of her life that could be real, and the first person she had ever cared about.

That night, everything had become so clear to her. She had gone back to the apartment, knowing what White had told her to do, but her thoughts conflicted each other. She was a born and bred soldier, trained to take out the target any way possible. This time, the target was Alec. He was the last person in this world she wanted to hurt in any way.

But she had, and that's what was killing her inside. If she had gone through with what she had been trained to do, Alec would be dead. And if saving him meant that she lost him, she knew, deep down, that she could do that. She had never had anyone care for her the way Alec had, and she had never cared for anyone the way she did for Alec. It had taken tonight, when she had meant to finish the plan, to make her realise that maybe, for the first time in her life, she actually loved someone.

Until Alec, she didn't know what love was. But she knew how he made her feel. No matter what, he could always make her laugh, or just smile. When she was around him, she felt safe being herself. But above all, he made her feel truly cared for. And she loved the way she felt around him.

She had once heard that if you truly loved someone, you'd do anything to protect them. So that’s what Nikki was gonna do. No matter how hard her heart was screaming for her to stay, Nikki turned and left that apartment block, knowing that the only way to keep Alec safe was for her to be far away. Far enough that no one, not even White, could ever find her.

@~~>~~~

Alec listened to the click from the door as Nikki left his apartment. The minute she left, a flood of nearly every different emotion known to man cascaded into his mind. Anger, disappointment, sorrow, hate. Love. Yes, Nikki had betrayed him. Done probably the worst thing she could have done. Yet he still couldn't help the way he felt about her.

Nikki made Alec feel things he thought he'd never feel again. Not after the last time. Not after everything that had happened.

Rachel had been the first girl he had ever felt anything for. Like Nikki, he had been positioned into her life by his superiors, his orders to take out her and her father. But things had gotten a little more complicated when she had stirred new feelings inside him. He had confessed everything to her, pushing her further away and into more danger.

Thinking back to that time, Alec realised that maybe he had been wrong before. Maybe this situation with Nikki wasn't all that different. And because of his pig-headed stupidity, he had lost perhaps the only other girl he could ever care for.

No matter what she had done, Alec just couldn't help the way he felt about Nikki. It was so different to everything he had felt with Rachel. Nikki knew the real him, every little secret, and she didn't run away because she had the same secrets. They were the same.

Alec never wanted to admit this to anyone, but Nikki really did mean more to him then he cared to realise himself. But he did care for her. He knew that. Above all else, the thing that had made him realise all this was the sick feeling he had at the pit of his stomach at the thought that he would never see her again.

Making his mind up, Alec ran out of his apartment and after Nikki. She was one girl he wasn't gonna lose. This time, he was gonna be able to say the words 'I love you', and the girl would be able to hear him.

@~~>~~~

Nikki left the apartment block, her head down, not wanting to look back at what she wanted so much. She didn't even look up when she heard the door slam open.

"Nikki!" Nikki froze, too scared to turn to the voice. She knew exactly who it was, but she didn't want to dare to hope he could be back in her life.

Turning slowing round, Nikki's breath caught in her throat. Alec was standing in front of her again, out of breath from running down the stairs. After her. Still, Nikki didn't dare hope. Not after everything that had just been said.

"You were right. And I'm sorry." Nikki felt herself breath again at his words.

"Alec…."

"Wait," Alec said, stepping up to Nikki and cutting her off. "I need to say this." Alec breathed deeply.

"You were right when you said I should understand. I should have. And right now, I do. When you walked out that door, something came clear to me. This is the same as Rachel, and just the same as back then, I don't wanna lose you."

"As much as I don't wanna say this," Nikki began. "Why the sudden change of heart?"

"My heart didn't change. I just realised that you and me are too similar to walk away from this. I messed up last time. When I told Rachel, she freaked. She didn't understand. But a part of me did when you told me. A large part of me, so I'm listening to that. I don't want what happened to me to happen again. Which means I don't want you to leave."

Waiting for a response, Alec inwardly breathed a sigh of relief when Nikki smiled her usual sweet smile at him. Alec smiled back, sliding his arms round her and hugging her close.

Nikki hugged him back, resting her head against the comfort of his chest. After a minute, she pulled away, looking up into his eyes.

"So, does this mean you forgive me for the whole trying to kill you deal?" Nikki asked innocently.

"Not exactly. It just means I'm giving you the chance to make it up to me." Alec smiled cheekily, causing Nikki to laugh lightly. Alec leaned down and kissed Nikki again, telling her once and for all he really did want her back.

They stood together for a moment, inwardly resolving each others problems with that simple kiss. Suddenly, they jerked apart as the silence around them was broken by the sound of clapping. They turned to find half a dozen guns or more pointing their way and a familiar figure striding towards them.

"Very cute display. Would you agree, 479?"


	6. Chapter Six

White strode towards Alec and Nikki, flicking his gaze between the two of them. His perfect soldier, and the runaway.

"So, I see you really are getting thoroughly involved in your mission." Nikki didn't respond. She just set White with a hard glare as he stopped in front of them. "I should have guessed it would end this way. You and 494 are too alike. That's why you were picked for this assignment." White turned his gaze to Alec, the same hard glare in his eyes.

"Did she tell you? I mean, you two seemed quite close just then. Did she tell you why she's really here?"

"Everything," Alec answered, defiantly holding his gaze on White.

"Right. And of course you understood. Because of… oh, what was her name again?" White stopped short, mimicking deep thought at thinking of the answer. After a minute, a triumphant and sly smile spread across his face, aimed at Alec. "Rachel Berrisford," he finished coolly. The name coming from him provocted a reaction in Alec that White relished. Pure anger and hatred.

"That's right. Your failed mission. You spilled everything. For all the good it did you. Or her. She still ended up six feet under."

Reaching his limit, Alec took all his anger and sent it toward White, punching him square in the jaw. The minute Alec's hand made contact with White's face, the loud echoing of cocking guns bounced around then as every soldier aimed at Alec. White raised his hand in the air, signalling for them to lower their weapons.

"No. I want these two alive. For now, anyway." White turned his attention back to the transgenics, focusing on Nikki. "So, my perfect little soldier's turned rogue. Whatever will I do with you, 479?"

"Nikki," she stated softly, her head down but her eyes focused on White.

"What was that?" White asked, edging closer to her.

"My name… is Nikki," she repeated a little louder.

Putting an end to this useless rambling, Nikki aimed a high kick at the nearest soldier. As gun fire broke out, Alec joined the fight, him and Nikki taking out numerous soldiers while avoiding the shower of bullets. Although the two transgenics fought separately, away from each other, they fought the same. Their moves matched perfectly, as though they were fighting as one.

As the fights continued, White too tried to avoid the bullets, ducking down beside his truck.

"Cease fire!" White yelled into the air. But the bullets didn't stop coming. "I said cease your goddamn fire!" White yelled again, his voice telling the soldiers there would be serious consequences if they ignored him again.

This time, the bullets began to die down as they heeded the tone in White's voice. As the bullets stopped, Alec's opponent finally got the better of him, knocking him to his knees and pressing his gun to his head.

At the same time, Nikki knocked down her opponent, grabbing his gun before it hit the ground and aiming it at the still crouching White.

Both Nikki and the soldier froze, keeping their guns held in position.

"You shot, and so do I," Nikki stated, her gaze held hard on the soldier.

"Just shot him," White commanded. "There's no way she'll fire." Just as the soldier was about to pull his trigger, Nikki cocked her gun, proving White wrong.

"Try me," she said, digging the gun deeper into his head.

"You realise that if you shot me, one of these will take you down. 494 with you," White said, still remaining calm with a gun to his head.

"Yeah, well, at least I get to take you with me."

"But would you?" White asked. "Would you really do that for him?" Nikki said nothing.

She looked up to Alec and caught his gorgeous eyes staring back at her, and she knew, like she had in the stairwell, the answer was yes. She would do just about anything if it meant she was keeping Alec alive.

White noticed her hesitation then felt the gun press almost painfully into the back of his head, and he didn't need an answer from her.

"You really have turned rogue, haven't you?"

"Well, tell him to lower his weapon and we'll have a friendly little discussion about just how much I've changed." Nikki hovered over the trigger, pressing it down gently to show she meant business.

White turned his attention to the soldier, nodding slightly to tell him to lower the gun. He did so. Nikki lowered her own gun, kicking White over as she moved away from him. Moving to Alec and the soldier, Nikki cracked the soldier in the face with the handle of the gun, knocking him to the ground. She tossed the gun onto his unconscious body as Alec stood beside her.

"So, 479," White said, standing straight. "How about that little discussion."

White made a small signal and two soldiers stepped forward from behind Nikki, grabbing her and pinning her to the spot.

As they did, Alec moved towards Nikki but two more soldiers moved up behind him, grabbing him and holding him back.

The two soldiers who had hold of Nikki dragged her towards the truck as she struggled in their grip. Alec struggled against his captors and eventually pulled himself free. He took no more than a couple of steps forward before more soldiers were on him, tasers out and shocking Alec.

"No!" Nikki screamed as the soldiers carried on shocking Alec as he fell to the floor. They finally stepped aside, revealing Alec's unconscious form on the ground. "Alec! No, Alec!" 

Nikki continued kicking and screaming as the soldiers packed her into the truck. White shifted his glance to Alec's unconscious body as he slipped calmly into the front seat of the truck before it drove away, Nikki still trying to punch and kick her way out of the truck to no avail.

@~~>~~~

When Alec came to, the street was deserted. No more soldiers, no more White. And no more Nikki.

Without a seconds hesitation, Alec was up and on his bike, speeding to where he knew he would get help. Like he had said before, he wasn't gonna lose this girl.

@~~>~~~

Alec crashed his way into Logan's apartment, interrupting something as Max and Logan popped up from the couch. Seeing Alec charge his way in, both were clearly irritated.

"Max, I need your help. Now!" Alec rushed into the main area of the apartment, not noticing or perhaps not caring about the looks he was getting from the two on the couch.

"Well it better be good. I'm a little busy," Max said, her anger showing.

"It is. White attacked. He's got Nikki and we need to get her back."

"What!" Max said, jumping off the couch. "How did this happen?"

"It doesn't mater how it happened. It happened and we need to do something about it. Fast." Alec was eager for them to leave, edging towards the door. Max wasn't so eager.

"It does matter. If White can find you and Nikki, he can find us all."

"No, he can't. He only found us because he's trailing Nikki. And now he has her."

"Well, why was he trailing her over all of you?" Logan asked, finally joining in the conversation.

"Will you guys quit with the questions. Nikki's in trouble and we need to help her." Again, Alec moved to the door but Max was quicker, grabbing his arm to stop him. She knew there was something he wasn't telling her, and she was gonna get it out of him before she went anywhere.

"Alec, answer Logan's question. Why Nikki?" Alec didn't answer. He just pulled himself from Max's grip and stared at her. As he stared, Max could see it in his eyes. Fear. Whatever this something was, he was scared to say it. Scared what would happen if they wouldn't listen to him.

"Look," Max said, making her voice a little softer and more understanding. "Until I know the full story and what I'm running into, I'm not going anywhere." Pulling his gaze down, Alec sighed deeply.

"White was trailing Nikki, because Nikki was trailing me. For White. He wanted me dead after betraying him. Nikki was the hit woman." Alec looked back up at Max and Logan to see their reaction. Both were the same, and both were equally shocked.

"If that's the case, why do you want to rush off and save her?" Logan asked.

"She told me everything. Confessed and told me she wasn't going through with it."

"Well she's either a very clever soldier, or a very dumb one. That or she's…." Max began sarcastically.

"She wasn't lying Max," Alec said, cutting her off. "I know she wasn't. I know, because I went through the same thing. With Rachel. I went against my superiors and warned her why I was really there. What I had been told to do. I knew what they would do to me, the torture I would be put through, but I didn't care. I told myself it was nothing compared to the inner torture I'd go through if I carried on with my mission. Now Nikki's being put through what I was." Alec held his gaze on Max and Logan and he could see that they still didn't believe, or trust, what he was saying.

"Max, she just put her life on the line for me. She let herself get captured to save me! She held a gun to White's head to keep me alive! You have to believe me. Please, trust me, and help me."

For a minute, Max continued to stare at Alec, not knowing what to think. She had listened to his voice, and it was filled with emotion. Emotion she had never seen or heard from him. Alec cared about this girl. Trusted her more than he had trusted anyone, and that was something Alec didn't do lightly. If he really was willing to believe in and trust this girl, maybe she was one of the good guys.

Sighing, Max remembered what Alec had told her about Rachel. What she knew from what had happened back then. He had cared about her and tried to save her. Nikki had done the same. She had done what she could to save Alec and he was ready to repay that favour. Beneath it all, maybe Nikki cared for Alec as much as it was clear to Max that Alec cared for her. Hoping and believing in that, Max grabbed her keys to her bike and followed Alec to the door.

"Alright. Lets go save your girl."


	7. Chapter Seven

Nikki fell roughly into the waiting chair as the soldiers pushed her back, sending her sliding across the room. She couldn't help but smirk at the persistence from White to drill respect back into her.

"Wipe that smile from your face, soldier," White said, stepping in front of her. Nikki looked up at him, the smile still written on her lips and laughter in her eyes.

"That may work on your boys here," Nikki said, nodding towards the soldiers flanking her on either side. "But I'm past taking orders from you."

Moving almost quicker than was humanly possible, White closed the space between him and Nikki, pulling her head roughly back by her hair.

"You need to remember that I am your superior. Show me some respect."

"Respect?" Nikki said, her smile remaining. "To you? You're just a freak in a suit trying to be a big shot."

"You're the freak, transgenic," White spat out, pushing Nikki away as he stepped back. The chair toppled over, sending Nikki to the floor in a rough tangle with the chair. Still, she couldn't help but laugh as she pulled herself to her feet.

"I may be a freak, but at least I can call myself human. There's no name for you. Well, I got a couple of good one's but none I care to mention."

Nikki suddenly felt a shocking pain coarse through her body, beginning at the base of her spine. Nikki's knees gave in from the shock, sending her crashing to the floor again. She looked up to see one of the soldiers standing above her, taser in hand. He brought it done again, hitting Nikki's side, and she felt the same pain spread through her muscles, stopping her from fighting back. Again, he held it ready to shock her.

"Enough," White commanded. "I want her alive and breathing." White turned his attention to Nikki, a sly grin painted across his lips.

"Unlike her little boyfriend of course."

White drank in the emotion that flowed from Nikki when he spoke of the last time she had seen Alec. It killed her inside, and White aimed for that. If he broke her down far enough, she would take back her position as soldier, and title as 479.

"You didn't see, did you?" White continued, trying to push her over the edge. "You didn't check whether he was dead or alive."

"Well, those soldiers of yours that had a tight grip on me kind of made that difficult," Nikki said, using sarcasm to escape her fear.

"But I did," White began again, playing on those fears. "I made the time to go back. And he was dead."

"I don't believe you," Nikki said, allowing her fears to show.

"But it's true. You tried to save him, but you still got him killed in the end. You succeeded well in your mission, 479."

Against everything her heart cried out, Nikki began to believe White's words. She had seen Alec, when the soldiers had stepped back. His body had been perfectly still, the light she loved in his eyes gone as they lay closed as if in sleep. And she begged for that. She begged that it was only sleep that had taken Alec and not death. But there was a voice, buried somewhere in the back of her mind and worming it's way forward. It told her White wasn't lying.

White watched the change in her appearance, saw her get lost in herself, and he thought he had won.

Lost deep within her mind, Nikki was pulled awake when the door slammed open and another soldier strode in at a quick march.

"Sir, we have intruders. X5's, I think." A smile found its way to Nikki's lips as the voices were quietened. It was Alec, it had to be.

"Succeeded in my mission? If that's the case, then who's that?" White moved to his computer monitor, a look of anger on his face. He clicked a couple of keys and the anger left, only to be replaced by a satisfied smirk as an image flared onto the screen.

"Oh no, 479. Your mission has turned out just as I hoped it would have. You brought me just what I wanted."

White turned the monitor to her, allowing her to see the image on it. It was one of Max and Alec, caught on a security camera as they made their way inside. Nikki saw the two of them, and she understood why White was so pleased. This whole thing was a trap, set for Max and Alec….

And she was the bait!

@~~>~~~

Max pelted down the street after Alec, hitting her top speed but still trailing behind him. After they had left Logan's apartment, Alec hadn't said a word. He had simply jumped on his bike and took off, leaving Max no option but to follow him. Max had never seen Alec this determined before. He was Mr Laidback, let-other-people-do-all-the-running, not Mr Plan-of-action. But then again, no one he cared for like Nikki had ever been involved before.

When they had reached White's base of operations, Alec was off his bike and charging on before he even considered how they were gonna get in. Or, more importantly, get Nikki out. Again, Max was left with no option but to follow him. Not if she wanted to keep hers, Alec's and Nikki's asses alive. But now it was her turn to take on the role of Logan. The level headed one who always has a plan.

Finally picking up enough speed to at least match Alec's, Max stepped up beside him and pulled his arm back, stopping him, which took quite a bit of force.

"Alec, wait a sec," Max said. "We need to stop and think about this."

"Stop and think about this!" Alec said, shocked. "And while we're doing that, Nikki's still in there with White."

"And she'll stay in there, us with her, unless we come up with a plan to get us all in and out safely."

"I've got a plan. A brilliant plan. We go in there, grab Nikki, take out as many soldiers as possible, and get out. If I'm lucky, White will be there and I can take him out too." Pulling out of Max's grip, Alec continued towards the building. Max followed, grabbing him back again.

"You really think we can just walk in there and grab Nikki? I've been up against White. I don't know what he is, but I do know he's not gonna give in easily."

"Trust me, the way I'm feeling right now, White doesn't stand a chance." Again, Alec pushed past Max, calling back to her: "Besides, we're transgenics with years of stealth training. We can use a little thing called the surprise element."

Knowing that whatever she said wouldn't make a difference to Alec and his decision, Max reluctantly followed a few steps behind, letting Alec take the lead. She let him lead her to the back door and watched as he tried to brake through the electronic lock.

As Max stood there, a soft electronic hum floated to her ears. The kind that every electrical item gives off but is too faint for human ears to hear. But not for Max. She followed the sound and it took her eyes to a security camera above the door, pointing right at them.

"Err… Alec," Max said, keeping her eyes on the camera. Alec ignored her, fixated on the lock. Her attention was drawn up when a small glimmer of light caught her eye. Standing on the roofs of the buildings surrounding them were at least a dozen soldiers, maybe more, all with guns pointing there way.

"Alec," she repeated, but still he ignored her and continued to work on the lock. "Alec!" she called louder, pulling him to his feet and turning his attention to her.

"What!" he replied, his attention on her solely. Max moved his gaze, showing him the problem at hand.

"I think we've just lost the element of surprise."

@~~>~~~

Nikki fell to the floor again, breathing heavily as she tried to control the pain surging through her body. The soldiers stood above her, looking pleased at the pain they were putting her through. The two stepped back as White walked up to her, kneeling so he could speak just to her.

"How does it feel 479 to know you're the reason your friends are gonna dies?"

Right now, Nikki had no snappy comeback to White's words. Her mind was too concerned with controlling the pain, and White knew that. He stepped back again, letting the soldiers retake theirs positions.

Nikki braced herself, ready for more taser blasts, but they didn't come. Instead, the bang of the door opening for a second time echoed round the room. Nikki looked up to the new occupants of the room and this time saw around half a dozen soldiers, four of them dragging Max and Alec into the room.

"Well, so nice of you to join us, 494. You too 452," White said, walking up to greet them. He motioned for the guards to let go and they did.

Alec's eyes flicked to Nikki on the floor and she smiled at him, letting him know she was ok. Her smile was forced, but it was still enough to convince Alec. Until he could get to her.

On White's signal, the soldiers hovering over Nikki had moved away to Max and Alec, their concentration on those who could fight back. Max watched all the soldiers carefully, waiting for the perfect opening for her and Alec.

"Yeah, well, you know us," Max said. "Never miss an opportunity to see you and your buddies. And drop you on your asses."

Max gave her own signal to Alec and both were off, taking down soldiers. There was no gun fire this time, there were too much explosive electrical equipment around. It was all hand to hand combat. And although they were heavily outnumbered, it wasn't long before Max and Alec had the upper hand. They fought with all the skill they had learnt in Manticore, plus a little extra they had learnt out in the real world.

Nikki watched the fight and pushed herself up, heading towards the action. The first soldier she came to was one of those who had taken so much fun out of shocking her. She took her own fun in her revenge, knocking down the soldier with a quick succession of kicks and blows. She watched him go down and moved aside, stepping over his body.

As her next step hit the floor, her knees went with it, a hard and heavy pressure hitting the back of them. Another hit collided with her back, sending her further to the ground. The third hit, however, fell on the soldier, knocking him to the ground beside her. As he fell, Nikki looked up to find Alec stood above her, hand outstretched to help her up.

"What, you thought I'd leave you with White after everything?" Alec said with a cheeky grin as he pulled Nikki up.

She smiled back at him, but her joy was short lived as a different set of arms took hold of her from behind. The new arms pulled her back, away from Alec, despite her struggle. Nikki was pulled back and for the first time she saw Max, stood beside her, her too being held back by guards. Her attention twisted to Alec who was not held by guards but surrounded by them, all with their tasers out.

"Our meetings always seem to end like this," White said, constantly switching his gaze between the three transgenics. "You barge in, there's a big fight and my side always ends up winning. When are you gonna learn to give up trying to fight me?"

White continued to watch the transgenics, flipping his gaze between Alec and the two women. His eyes stopped moving and finally landed on the two women.

"Take them two away," White commanded of the soldiers holding the girls. "Put them in separate cells on the containment level."

The soldiers obeyed orders, dragging Max and Nikki from the room. Alec made a move forward but stepped back when he was blocked, soldiers standing in his way with tasers sparking menacingly. He would find a way out, just when the soldiers were less on guard.

"Now 494," White said, attempting to stare Alec down. "What should I do with you?"

"For starters," Alec said cockily. "You need to pin me down a bit better than this." Choosing to run instead of fight at that moment, Alec quickly and cunningly ducked past the soldiers, grabbing a gun from one of their sides as he past. Dodging taser blasts, Alec ran towards the door.

Trying to counteract Alec's intentions, the soldier nearest the door jumped forward, slamming his hand down on the electronic lock that controlled the main lock-down doors. As it began to close, Alec picked up his speed and dropped to the ground, rolling through the opening seconds before it closed.

The minute the door slammed to the floor, the sound of gunshots echoed from the other side. The soldier who had closed the door moved to open it but found his attempts futile. The gunshots had come from Alec shooting out the locking mechanism on his side, disabling its partner on the inside.

"Sir, we could…." One soldier began, trying to give White another opportunity to capture Alec.

"No, let him go," White said, walking back to the computer monitors. "I want to see who he goes to."

White hit a single key on the keyboard and a new image flared onto the monitor. This was one of two separate cells, one containing Nikki, the other with Max. White watched both girls, waiting to see which cell 494 would enter first. To see which girl he would choose to save, and which he would condemn to death.


	8. Chapter Eight

Nikki lay down on the bed inside her cell, staring up at the ceiling. She had been roughly shoved in here about 15 minutes ago, Max being taken somewhere else. She wasn't given the chance to see where, but she guessed she was in a nearby cell. Why they were there though, she had no idea. When it came to transgenics, White liked to kill them quickly and get them out of the way. But with them, he was dragging it out, giving them the opportunity to fight back. She knew why he wanted Max alive, but right now, Nikki and Alec were simply two more transgenics on the loose.

Searching round her very minimal surroundings, Nikki saw the small red light of a camera, pointing right at her. Nikki slid her bed across the room, sliding it under the camera and standing on it so she was level with the lense.

"Screw you!" Nikki said at the camera before she pulled the wires from the back and watched the little red light go out. She didn't like the idea of White watching her when she couldn't see him.

Nikki moved her bed back to its original position and lay on it, staring up at the ceiling again. Besides the door, there was no other was out of this room and she knew that. She had spent pretty much her entire life in cells like this. They were meant to keep thing locked in and Nikki didn't see the point of searching for an impossible escape route she knew wasn't there. The door was her only way out, and that was the way she intended to go, when the time came.

As she lay there, her thoughts on escaping, Nikki heard the sound of gun fire from outside her cell. Expecting it to be one of White's guards on the other side, Nikki stood ready to make her move and her escape. Instead, the door clanked open to reveal Alec, gun in hand.

"Alec," Nikki exclaimed happily as he stepped into the room. Both walked forward and into the others embrace, grateful to see that each other were alive.

"We need to go," Alec said, pulling out of the hug. "No one followed, but it won't be long before they do." Alec attempted to pull Nikki from the room, but Nikki pulled back, needing to know what was going on.

"Wait, you're saying no one came after you? Not a single guard?"

"They couldn't," Alec answered. "I shot out the lock on the bolt door. It will take them a while to get it open."

"No it wouldn't. It would take White a matter of seconds. And even if he couldn't open that door, he'd find another way. So why hasn't he?"

"It doesn't matter Nikki. We need to go." Alec continued to try and pull her out, but Nikki still stood strong in place.

"You don't understand Alec. White has to be doing this for a reason. But why? He's got me and Max captive when he could just as easily have killed us. He let you come and find us, knowing you'd brake us out. But what's all this for? What is he…?" Nikki stopped and looked up at the camera, things beginning to slip into place. "He's watching us," Nikki finished as Alec followed her gaze.

"Dammit," he yelled, kicking the doorframe. "He's not watching you, he's watching me. He's watching to see who I'd come to first. That son of a bitch is testing me."

"He can't see you're here," Nikki said, stopping him from attacking the wall again. "I pulled the wires out."

"Well let's hope you and Max think alike," Alec said, finally pulling Nikki from the room and Nikki following willingly.

@~~>~~~

When Max had been roughly shoved into the cell, the first thing she had seen had been the camera. And the first thing she had done was take the wires from the back, disabling it. With the camera down, she went about trying to find a way out.

Her first instinct was the door, but that was no use. The fact it had no handle or visible lock told her it was locked electronically. And with no control panel on Max's side, obviously, there was no way she could get out that way.

When Max had been re-captured by Manticore, she had been kept in a similar cell. And back then, she had broken her way out through the walls. That was her best bet now. She turned her bed over and tried to look for a good spot on the wall where she could get through. She didn't know what was on the other side, but it had to be better than this cell.

She began feeling around the walls, banging the bricks to find one that would help her on her way to an escape. She stopped in the centre of the wall, the sound of her bangs changing slightly. There was nothing behind this wall, which meant that was her best way out of her cell. And if there was nothing behind this wall, maybe it would lead her to Nikki's cell. They had been dragged in separate directions, but she knew she had to be in another cell. And she intended on helping her out.

Max easily broke off a sharp piece of metal from beneath her bed and turned to dig her way through yet another cell wall.

As she began digging at the soft cement, the distant sound of voice's caught her ears. Only guards could be roaming the corridors. She quickly hid the piece of metal under her bed and put it back in position. Moving quickly aside as the voices moved closer, Max stood beside the door, standing on offence to take out anyone who came through that door.

The door swung open and Max's leg swung round, aiming to collide with whoever came through the door. But instead of hitting someone, her foot stopped in mid-air as the someone grabbed her ankle. She finally looked at who she had tried to hit and saw Alec, backed up slightly with a shocked expression on his face and Nikki beside him.

"Nice aim," Alec said, letting go of her ankle. "Good job I was prepared this time," he added, referring back to the first time him and Max had met in a cell like this.

Max stood straight, not sure what to make of the two stood in front of her, or why and how they were there. Max made a move to step towards them, but Alec put up a hand to stop her.

"Camera," he said simply, nodding towards the direction of where he guessed the camera was, from its position in Nikki's cell.

"Disconnected," Max said simply, smiling at Alec.

"Well, I guess you two do think alike," Alec said to Nikki, both of the sharing a personal joke and personal smile.

"Am I missing something here?' Max asked, looking between the both of them.

"No, but we better move, because sooner or later, White's gonna figure that he is. Two female something's so come one." Alec turned back the way he came, the two women following him.

@~~>~~~

White strode into the now opened room with a purpose, responding to a call he had gotten from one of the soldiers.

"What seems to be the problem?" White asked, grabbing the room's attention.

"There's a problem with the cameras on the containment level. Specifically the two occupied cells," the soldier sat at the computer informed White.

"What sort of problem?" White asked. As an answer, the soldier turned the computer screen for White to take a better look. Instead of two pictures of Max and Nikki, there was now only static. "How long ago did this happen?" White asked impatiently.

"452 took out her camera first. 479 took hers out fifteen minutes later, after this." The soldier rewound the static now playing on the screen until the last image of Nikki came up. It showed Nikki's last statement to the camera before it went dead, to which White simply smiled.

"Very nice 479," White said to the screen image.

"We called you the minute 479's camera went out," the soldier told White.

"Well, don't just sit there. Send out a team. Find them. They could be anywhere in the building and they'll undoubtedly be…."

Before White could finish his sentence or send out the troops, the doors flew open and two guards crashed into the room, skidding across the floor. White looked up in time to see Max, Alec and Nikki run past.

"Together," White finished more for himself, before he turned to the rest of the soldiers. "Get after them. Now!"

Taking his orders, half of the soldiers in the room ran after them, White fast on their tail. If the transgenics who had caused him such a problem were going to die, he was gonna be there.

@~~>~~~

Max, Alec and Nikki ran at their full speed out of the building. Without even looking back, they knew they were being followed, just not by how many.

They ran faster and were out of the building and almost at Max and Alec's bikes when the gun-fire began. They dodged the torrent of bullets, swerving and zig-zagging as they moved. They were only a few steps away from escape when Alec dodged a little too slowly, a bullet hitting him in the leg and sending him to the floor.

Nikki had turned and was back at his side in an instant, Max close behind her. While the majority of the soldiers stopped in a circle around the three transgenics, one figure stepped forward. Gun raised at the group, White moved towards them and the look on his face led Nikki to guess that he had been the one to shoot Alec.

"Now what did I tell you about trying to escape," White said, lowering his gun. "It's useless. I always win in the end."

"Oh no," Max said confidently, standing up. "You haven't won yet."

"You're outnumbered. One of you is wounded. How do you expect to win now?"

"By doing what we do best," Nikki said, standing up and giving Max her support. "Kicking your ass."

And for about the third time tonight, Max and Nikki took aim at the soldiers. Instead of taking cover or ducking out, White got himself involved in the fight, heading for Nikki. He watched as she took out a guard and took his opportunity, hitting her hard across the back and sending her crashing to her knees. He moved round so he was standing in front of her.

"You need to learn, 479," White said, towering over her. "That when you break the rules, you get punished."

He pulled his foot back and aimed a kick at Nikki, which she easily caught before it made contact with her. She pushed back on his foot and sent him flying back. But he wasn't down for long. The minute Nikki was up, so was he. And the minute both of them were on their feet, they were fighting again.

Each move one made was easily blocked by the other, neither of them getting the upper hand. They threw punch after punch, and kick after kick, but only a few landed in place. But neither opponent was getting tired. They could go on like this for hours, and neither would back down first.

White finally took the upper hand, cracking Nikki so hard across the face she toppled to the floor. White stood above her and aimed a kick at her side but before it could land, Nikki rolled away and came up behind White. She knocked him forward, sending him rolling head first into a pile with a few of his guards.

With White down, Nikki took this opportunity to observe the fight beside her. Alec was up again, successfully helping Max to take out all of the soldiers who had now turned their attention to them. Despite the bullet in his leg, Alec fought the way he always did. Nikki continued to watch the fight, not noticing White was up until his arm was tightly round her neck, cutting off her air supply.

"I'm gonna take great pleasure in getting rid of the rouge element," White said into her ear, tightening his grip round her neck and watching what she was watching.

"Them too," he said, motioning slightly towards Max and Alec's fight. "And you're gonna have to deal with the fact that their deaths are on your hands. They're gonna die because they came back to save you. They are…."

Knowing which way White was heading with his verbal abuse, Nikki decided she didn't want to hear any more. She threw her body forward, pulling White's arm slightly away from her neck and sending him flying over her body. Not giving him the chance to pull himself up, Nikki kicked him across the floor. He landed roughly against a dumpster and she heard him groan in pain. Moving over to him, Nikki noticed the corner of the dumpster had been pulled away to a sharp point, and White had landed on it.

Smiling cheerily, Nikki stepped up to the now immobile White and pressed her foot against his throat. Her foot was in the position to brake White's neck with a simply move, but she didn't. She just kept her foot there, holding him in place. As much as she wanted to kill him for everything he had done, she wouldn't go that low. If she did, she would be just like White.

With White pinned beneath her, Nikki had the perfect opportunity to see what Max and Alec were doing. They had finished their fights and were stood beside their bikes, watching Nikki. Turning her attention back to White, Nikki lowered her body to speak to him.

"Our meetings always seem to end like this," Nikki said, using White's own words. "You capture us, we break free, and we kick your ass in a big fight." Nikki pulled herself straight, her foot pinning him to the floor harder.

"I think you need to learn that we transgenics aren't as easy as you to pin down." She looked back over at Max and Alec who were now positioned across their bikes, waiting for Nikki. "Not when we have friends," she finished.

Staring down at White again, Nikki removed her foot from his throat, purposely catching his face as she moved. Not once looking back, Nikki ran over to the two bikes, jumping on behind Alec. She wrapped her arms tightly round his waist as they took off, letting him lead her away to the life she had longed to have.


	9. Chapter Nine

Soon after leaving White's base of operations, Alec and Nikki arrived back at Alec's. They walked into the apartment, Alec leaning slightly against Nikki to keep the weight off his wounded leg. Without saying a word, Nikki dropped Alec on the couch and moved into the kitchen. After a few seconds she walked back in with towels and bandages, not a word spoken while she walked.

"Pants off," Nikki said simply as she stepped up to him. When he didn't move, she finally looked up at him to find him staring at her, eyebrows raised. "You were shot in the leg. The only way I can see the wound is if you take off your pants."

"Yeah, sure," Alec joked disbelievingly, but he still obliged. Nikki bowed her head and knelt beside Alec as he sat down, trying to hide a smile. "I saw that," he said cheekily, and Nikki hid another smile. Instead, she examined his wound gently, all her years of medical training kicking in.

"The bullet's in quite deep. I can take it out but it's gonna hurt." Nikki looked up at Alec again and found him smiling down at her. "What?" Nikki finished, watching him.

As an answer, Alec bowed down, took Nikki's face in his hands and kissed her. Nikki felt herself being gently lifted off her feet, falling into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Alec slowly pulled out of the kiss.

"Wanted to do that since we escaped," Alec said, his forehead pressed against Nikki's as they stared at each other. Nikki smiled shyly, not hiding it this time. As if realising what she was doing, Nikki cleared her throat to wipe away her smile, turning her attention back to Alec's wounded leg.

"So, about this bullet. It's…." But Alec didn't let her finish. He held his hand under her chin, turning her eyes up to him.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked, staring into her dark eyes.

"Nothing. Why do you always think there's something wrong?" Nikki replied, trying to pull out of Alec's grip. But Alec held tight, keeping her face in position.

"I know there is. You keep avoiding holding eye contact with me. So lets not go into this again. Tell me."

"Why?" Nikki asked finally, her eyes glistening slightly. "After everything, why are you still acting like none of this happened?"

"Because that's what I want it to be like," Alec said truthfully.

"But it happened. You can't change that."

"But I don't care about that," Alec said, holding her face a little gentler. Nikki stared at him, shocked.

"I know what you're going through, remember," Alec continued. "When I told Rachel, I just wished that she would have turned round and told me she forgave me."

"So you're saying this to take away your own pain?" Nikki asked, disappointment in her voice.

"Partly," Alec answered honestly. "I'm not gonna lie to you. Forgiving you is helping me. But that's not why I'm doing this. That's not why I came to save you tonight. I did it because I don't want to make the same mistake twice. I don't wanna lose someone who means the world to me. I don't wanna lose someone I love."

Alec watched Nikki's face, waiting for a reaction. And it came as she smiled sweetly at him, a single tear leaking from her glistening eyes. Forgetting about her doubts, Nikki leaned forward and kissed Alec sweetly and innocently. This was just a quick and simply kiss, but beneath it was hidden all the love and emotion Nikki could let out. She pulled away, stroking her hand softly through his hair while he smiled at her.

"All this, everything I've done, it was all to show you," Nikki said. "All to earn your trust."

"And you've done that," Alec said, cupping her face in his hands. "You've earned my trust, and a whole lot more." Smiling widely, Alec pulled Nikki into a loving hug.

"Same for you," Nikki said into Alec's ear, leaning against his shoulder.

She clung tight to him, never wanting to let this moment go. It was perfect. It was they way Nikki knew life should be. And the way she felt in his arms, it was all she needed. If this now, this feeling of love, and warmth, and security, was all her life was gonna be from now on, that was all she wanted. She had everything anyone could want. Good friends, somewhere to run to, and someone to run with. To any person, whether a genetically engineered super soldier or not, this was the perfect life.


End file.
